The holiday season is an excellent time to think about how to decorate your kitchen or dining room table for Christmas. After all, it’s the center of extravagant holiday meals and hours spent chatting with family and friends. So if your usual Christmas centerpiece is feeling a bit tired, try one of these festive decorating ideas for your tabletop and let the celebrations begin.
Classic Garland with Red & Gold
A single string of garland, real or faux, is an easy way to decorate your dining room table or kitchen island for Christmas. Evergreen branches, such as fir, are loved for their traditional holiday flair and are easily dressed up with red ornaments and gold candlesticks. If you expect children at your gathering, you may also nestle a few candy canes into the boughs.
Floral Farmhouse Centerpiece
Don’t let the name farmhouse fool you – this style of home furnishings lends itself to simple, yet incredibly sophisticated looks during the holiday. Lean into the style’s focus on natural textures, such as leather and faux fur, and opt for table décor that adds to its vintage feel. An antique ceramic vase filled with white blossoms is both elegant and charming.
Decorate with Fruit
Magnolia leaves and dried fruit have a Victorian essence that’s both traditional and modern in style. Wrap into a string of garland with other trending greenery, such as eucalyptus, along with faux pomegranates and pears. It’s a beautiful way to adorn your table for Christmas day gatherings.
A Cozy Scandinavian Setting
Photo courtesy of The Lillie Bag
Use natural materials, a simple color palette, and woodsy Nordic elements to set the ultimate Scandinavian style table. A simple unlit garland and flocked decorative pine cones keep the space feeling extra rustic and cozy.
Before you decide on a centerpiece or tabletop décor, take a look at your place settings. Are you using Great Grandma’s china or something more contemporary? You may find inspiration in your dishware, and the space taken up by formal place settings, including chargers, silverware, and glassware, need to be considered when planning.
Art Deco Gold
Time periods are full of inspiration for setting your holiday table, and we particularly love the 1920s (think Great Gatsby). Look to glam spaces for inspiration and focus on shiny metallic shades, such as copper and gold. The style is festive and carries itself well into New Year’s Eve.
Simple Wreath Centerpiece
If simplicity is at the heart of your decorating strategy, place a small wreath in a decorative bowl or on a cake stand and adorn with pine cones and a candle. It’s an easy, no-fuss way to spruce up your Christmas table decorations, without sacrificing too much surface space. Simply move the bowl to another countertop or table when needed.
Red Flowers
Poinsettias are a Christmas staple, but they’re often too big for the dining room table. Instead, opt for smaller varieties of red flora. Tuck into white vases and pair with crisp napkins and table linens.
Modern Table Runner & Candlesticks
Interested in a new holiday color palette? Dark neutrals, such as black, charcoal gray, and hunter green, are growing in popularity. Opt for a dark table runner and candlesticks for a moody, yet elegant, look that’s totally on trend with modern home styles.
Rustic Antlers
Real or faux antlers will add rustic holiday appeal to your table setting and are easy to dress up with greenery, candles, or faux snow. When Christmas is over, simply remove the ornamentation for a centerpiece that will last all winter.
The shape (and size) of your table will likely impact your decorations, so be mindful that some ideas may be better for long, rectangular tables than small, round ones. Runners and garland are better suited for long tables, while single centerpieces suit round tables perfectly. But be creative! These are only guidelines, not hard rules.
Mix and Match Candles
Perhaps candles are a given for your Christmas dinner table, but be creative when it comes to their use. Mix tea lights with traditional candle sticks or display similar candles at various heights. Small indoor lanterns are a lovely way to display candles, too.
Create a Scene
Your tabletop is a great place to piece together holiday decorations for an eclectic Christmas tablescape that is all your own. The key to success? Balance. Find pieces that complement each other in color, size, and shape to create a sense of unity throughout.
Scandinavian & White
White décor will always be popular at Christmas, but if you want a tabletop that’s modern and sophisticated, look to Scandinavian design principals. Often times less is more, and a single string of felt garland, paired with white table settings, is all you need for a charming holiday touch.
However you decide to decorate your table this Christmas, find a look that’s practical for you. Whether its minimal or elaborate, picking the best Christmas table decorations will fill you with holiday cheer for Christmas and beyond.
You Might Also Be Interested In …
- Learn 4 Ways to Set the Table for the Holidays from Casual to Formal.
- Find additional ways to decorate your dining table when not in use after the holidays.
